We have been doing Samsung TV reviews for a few years now, and the company has always been great in sending us review units so that we can provide our readers with our thoughts and opinions. This year, Samsung contacted us and asked if we would like to be among the first media outlets to see one of its latest 8K TV offerings, the Samsung Q800T.
We usually receive our review units weeks, sometimes months, after their publication. This time we had to spend some time with the Samsung Q800T and Q90T so that we could give you our first glimpse and our first impressions before they hit the shelves. Samsung continues to impress and 2020 is a remarkable year of improvements for the Samsung TV line.
Before we move on, it’s important to note that this is our first assessment of impressions, a full review may happen in the future. For this reason, this evaluation does not carry a rated note but rather a Editor’s Choice rating. Read on for our first preview and mini-review of the Samsung Q800T, winner of the Techaeris 8K TV Editor’s Choice award.
Characteristics
The Samsung Q800T 8K TV has the following features and specifications:
- Video
- Screen sizes: 64.5 ″ | 74.5 ″ | 81.5 ″ measured diagonally
- Resolution: 7680 x 4320
- Movement rate: 240
- Color: Titan Black
- HDR (high dynamic range): Quantum HDR 16X
- Image engine: 8K quantum processor
- Color of quantum dots: Yes
- Increase in power: 8K AI
- audio
- Sound output: 70W
- Speaker type: 4.2.2CH
- Multiroom link: Yes
- Bluetooth headset support: Yes
- Wireless connectivity
- Wireless: Yes
- Wi-Fi Direct: Yes
- Bluetooth: Yes
- features
- Smart Hub: Yes (including Sports, Music and TV Plus – Access content and apps easily through the intuitive Smart Hub menu system.) Apple TV + is also compatible.
- Processor: 8K quantum processor
- Application platform: Smart TV powered by TIZEN ™ with Bixby Voice, applications and full web browser
- Voice interaction (with Bixby): Yes. It also works with Google Assistant and Alexa.
- AI technology: Yes
- Automatic channel search: Yes
- Auto Motion Plus: Yes
- Dimming technology: 8K Ultimate Dimming
- V-chip: Allows parents to block inappropriate movies and programs based on their FCC rating.
- Channel Guide: Yes
- Game mode: Yes (Real Game Enhancer +)
- Ambient mode: Yes
- Automatic shutdown: Yes
- Subtitles: Yes
- Easy pairing: Yes
- Anynet + HDMI-CEC: Yes (HDMI version which supports the TV and controls of compatible HDMI components via a single remote control.)
- Eco sensor: Yes (technology that intelligently adapts the screen brightness to the light intensity in the room.)
- Bluetooth: Yes
- InstaPort S (HDMI Quick Switch): Yes
- Mobile to TV – Mirroring, DLNA: Yes
- TV to mobile (mirroring): Yes
- I / O (A connection box)
- 4 HDMI ports
- 2 USB ports (v2)
- Ethernet port
- RF input (terrestrial / cable input)
- RF input (satellite input)
- RS232C
- Digital audio output (optical)
- Audio return channel support (via HDMI port) BOW
- One Connect
- Dimensions
- Product size (W x H x D) without support in inches: 72.1 ″ x 41.3 ″ x 1.1 ″
- Product size (W x H x D) with support in inches: 72.1 ″ x 45 ″ x 14.4 ″
- Media size (W x H x D) in inches: 16.9 ″ x 11.4 ″ x 14.4 ″
- Shipping Size: 81.6 ″ x 47.6 ″ x 10.2 ″
- Weight without stand: 91.5 lbs
- Weight with stand: 119.5 lbs
- Shipping weight in box: 152.6 lbs
- Power
- ENERGY STAR® certified: Yes (approval of Energy Star, a government program, guarantees that television is environmentally friendly and energy efficient.)
- Power source: AC110-120V 50 / 60Hz
- Typical power consumption: 275W
- Maximum power consumption: 435W
- Standby power consumption: Less than 0.5 W
- Other features
- Compatible with Vesa wall mount (400 × 400)
- Color of quantum dots
- Flat glass display
- UHD 8K resolution
- Ultra viewing angles
- Samsung One Remote
- Samsung model number: QN82Q800TAFXZA
Design
In terms of design, Samsung is back again with improvements in almost every aspect. The glasses are thinner than ever on the Samsung Q800T 8K TV, and their premium 950TS has a crazy screen-to-body ratio of 90% (more on the 950TS in another review). The overall thickness also dropped to a respectable thickness of 1.1 “.
With glasses with an even thinner footprint than ever, it really makes this QLED TV feel like it is floating in front of you. Samsung has also improved building materials this year. Last year’s models had plastic back panels that looked really inexpensive. Although the back panel is plastic again this year, it feels a lot more premium. Not only does it look premium, but it also feels premium.
The supports are also improved, although they are very heavy. This year’s stands have followed the same path as last year’s Q90R. They are much more robust and give the impression of holding your television better.
The brackets have also been designed specifically to accept the Samsung sound bars under the TV. The distance from the bottom of the screen to the TV stand is perfect space for all Samsung 2020 soundbars. In this way, the soundbar simply blends into the TV and gives it the appearance of a transparent design.
The Samsung Q800T 8K TV is a beautiful piece of technological art that you will love hanging on your wall. Combine outdoor beauty with Samsung’s ambient mode on the TV and you will have your own art gallery in your living room. Overall, Samsung has improved the important things when it comes to TV design. The Q800T 8K TV is thinner both in terms of bezel and thickness. The build quality is exceptional! The materials used for the construction are of superior quality and are distinguished from the low-end models.
Pin up
Let’s face it, the reason why most of us buy a TV will depend on its display quality. I have been examining Samsung TVs for a few years now and Samsung is well known for its display technology. Year after year, Samsung has improved every screen I have used and the Samsung Q800T 8K TV is no different.
Normal things have all been improved and refined … contrast, color, clarity, sharpness, viewing angles, etc. have all been improved. The area that Samsung has improved the most is the contrast. The company continues to make better and better the contrast of its televisions. The Q800T brings deeper blacks while retaining grayscale and shadows.
This means that you can watch your favorite content where the real blacks remain black but the grays and details in the shadows are improved and visible. With OLED technology, black and gray areas tend to get confused and details are lost. Using Samsung’s QLED technology, the company has been able to match the contrast performance of its competitors.
Normal picture modes are present here on the Samsung Q800T 8K TV. These include film mode, standard mode and dynamic mode, while film maker mode will be available soon. Sure, you can skip and change the settings as you like in custom mode, but most people will be happy with one of the presets. Personally, I use the most standard mode and it works great with almost all of the content. In fact, according to their research, Samsung says that 70% of users use standard mode.
One of the latest features offered by Samsung is the multiple view. Multi-View allows users to stream their phone screens to the TV so they can multitask while watching content. At first, I wondered about the need for such functionality, but Samsung gave me some use cases of Multi-View that make perfect sense.
The multiple view on the Samsung Q800T 8K TV is particularly useful for gamers. Players can now view YouTube tutorials on their phones and play them on the screen when playing this same game. This can help players get through difficult levels without having to look at their other device or interrupt anything. it would be.
Multi-View can also be used to check the facts while watching news programs or political debates. Having your phone screen available on the same screen where everyone can see it and check the facts is actually a very good idea.
Of course, you can have just about anything with Multi-View like social media, news, sports or just about anything. You can also choose which device will play sound through the TV or you can play sound through both devices. There are a lot of options here. Multi-View is probably not for everyone, but for many they will love this feature.
What else can we say on display? Overall, the Samsung Q800T 8K TV has a fantastic screen that will appeal to almost everyone. Compared to the Q900R that I reviewed this year, the colors, contrast, detail and color temperature are all improved by a ton on the Q800T.
Sound quality
Holy cow! The sound quality of the Samsung Q800T 8K TV has been improved by leaps and bounds. I have always sung the praises of the speakers on the Samsung TV and the quality of their sound. Seriously, the last 3 years of high-end Samsung TVs really don’t need more than the TV speakers themselves. You can certainly improve and enhance the sound with a sound bar or surround sound system, but most people will be happy with what Samsung has built into the TVs.
The Samsung Q800T 8K TV takes sound quality up to 11. The latest feature on some 8K and 4K TVs is called, Object Tracking Sound and Object Tracking Sound Plus.
Object Tracking Sound Plus is what you will find on the Samsung Q800T 8K TV and it is a 4.2.2 system with two speakers at the top of the TV, two speakers at the bottom, one on the left and one at right. All of these speakers work together to track the sound coming from your content, making it a more immersive experience.
It’s really weird but also very cool when you hear it for the first time. The voices become clearer and easier to distinguish and understand. There is much more separation from the soundstage, giving the user a sense of depth and space in their audio experience. This helps get lost in the content, giving the impression that you are actually there. Visually, the televisions have done a great job of immersing you in the world, but until now, it has not been easy to immerse the user in sound with the TV speakers.
Overall, the sound of the Samsung Q800T 8K TV is probably my favorite feature, as it almost eliminates the need for a sound bar. Sure, a great soundbar or surround sound system will give you even more, but trust me, these speakers combined with OTS + are amazing.
Performance
In terms of performance, the Samsung Q800T 8K television is a workhorse. Nothing here seemed to lag behind, except for network performance issues. Navigating through the menus and loading the applications was quick and painless.
Game performance is also improved with Samsung’s new version of the game mode. When your Xbox or PlayStation is connected to the TV and turned on, the game mode is automatically applied. The game mode changes the colors and the refresh rate to give you a better gaming experience. The game plus mode provides an input lag of 9.4 ms, which is really amazing for a TV. This means that players can enjoy a more responsive experience within their favorite games. Game Mode Plus also adds some surround sound enhancements making the sound more immersive for players and more exciting.
Samsung has also changed its SmartHub design. The colors have gone from a brilliant white to a more muted blue. I am not a fan of the new colors for SmartHub but I am a fan of getting rid of white. I suggested to Samsung that the Smart Hub goes dark with darker grays for the color palette.
Aside from color, SmartHub is the best user interface on any TV on the market. It’s fast, well-designed, and gives you everything you need with a few button clicks. They even gave you more screen space by redesigning the application icons from rectangles to squares. This allows more applications to be displayed on the screen in the menu bar.
The Samsung Q800T 8K TV also has an updated universal guide that gives you suggestions based on the apps you’ve installed and the content you’ve watched. Now you can simply scroll through the main menu and your suggestions will start to appear.
Overall, the performance of the Samsung Q800T 8K TV is exactly what you would expect from a flagship TV. Samsung delivers again.
Wrap
Our first look and our first impressions of the Samsung Q800T 8K TV are extremely positive. Samsung has done an incredible job over the years on its flagship TVs. They usually come with a bunch of new improvements, but this year, they really added a bunch of new values as well as improvements.
If you’re looking for your first 8K TV, we think you should buy the Samsung Q800T 8K TV. They are available in the following sizes and prices on the Samsung website:
Congratulations to the Samsung Q800T 8K TV for winning the Editor’s Choice Award for 8K TVs.
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